Apprentice (Process Controller)

Summary

Are you ready to live your future? Do you want to be part of building a greener, healthier, and stronger North West? Come and join us! With a range of award-winning roles on offer, you’re sure to find your perfect career here at United Utilities. We’ll provide you with industry-leading skills and experience you need to succeed in your chosen field.

Wage

£19,000 a year

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

You have a starting salary of £19,000, which will increase each year based on performance

Training course

Water industry treatment process technician (level 3)

Hours

Monday - Friday, 9.00am - 5.00pm

37 hours a week

Possible start date

Wednesday 3 September

Duration

3 years

Positions available

1

Work

As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

What you’ll do at work

As an Apprentice Process Controller (Wastewater Treatment), you’ll learn how to:

Ensure our customers' wastewater is taken care of by learning how to operate and control our wastewater treatment works
Work as a team to ensure our wastewater treatment works run smoothly and comply with strict health and safety and environmental regulations
Follow our site procedures and standards to ensure that all the processes that we use are working to their full potential

Where you’ll work

Oldham Wastewater Treatment Works, The Causeway, Off Gateway Crescent, Broadway Industrial Estate

OL9 9XD

Training

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.

College or training organisation

UNITED UTILITIES WATER LIMITED

Your training course

Water industry treatment process technician (level 3)

Equal to A level

Course contents

Comply with (water or wastewater) industry regulations and procedures.
Follow alarm intervention procedures. Resolve alarm issues.
Inspect (planned) and check assets (reactive) and identify action.
Follow procedures to remove assets for routine maintenance and recommission.
Carry out validation or instrument checks of online equipment and identify action.
Monitor first line maintenance of process control equipment and instrumentation.
Identify issues. Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques: identify root cause. Resolve faults.
Consider, identify, and promote areas for improvement for example, in relation to quality, cost, time, safety, and impact.
Interrogate and interpret electronic control systems. For example, HMI or SCADA.
Use data monitoring and control systems to monitor and control equipment.
Inspect and check safety equipment: identify and take action.
Identify and instigate incident escalation procedures.
Apply site standards for housekeeping.
Conduct risk assessments: identify and document risks and hazards in the workplace. Apply control measures.
Comply with health and safety regulations and safe working practices and procedures.
Follow site security procedures.
Follow procedures for emergency situations.
Comply with environmental and sustainability regulations and requirements. For example, safe disposal of waste, re-cycling or re-use of materials, and efficient use of resources.
Apply principles of sustainable development. For example, in choice of materials.
Conduct and assess impact of activity for example, environmental, cost, reputation, safety, and health. Apply control measures.
Identify and escalate issues.
Read and interpret written information. For example, work instructions, and service level agreements.
Complete work records.
Use information technology. Follow cyber security procedures. Comply with GDPR.
Plan tasks. Identify and organise resources to complete work tasks.
Communicate verbally and in writing. For example, with colleagues, stakeholders, or others. Use water industry terminology where appropriate.
Liaise with, negotiate with, and handle conflict in individual or group environments.
Select raw water source or blend of sources.
Monitor and control water abstraction.
Monitor and control water chemical dosing procedures.
Operate water process control equipment and instrumentation.
Take water samples.
Analyse and interpret on-site laboratory data and check against water process parameters.
Monitor and control water treatment processes and performance.
Monitor and control the effectiveness of disinfection.
Monitor and control waste stream processes and performance.
Apply procedures to shut-down, isolate, and re-commission water process streams.
Monitor and control incoming flows.
Control internal pumping station operations.
Operate wastewater process control equipment and instrumentation.
Take wastewater samples.
Analyse and interpret on-site testing data and monitoring equipment data and check against wastewater process parameters.
Monitor and maintain grit removal and screening assets.
Monitor and control the performance of sedimentation, biological and chemical treatment operations.
Monitor and control wastewater treatment processes and performance.
Apply procedures to shut-down, isolate and re-commission wastewater process streams.
Follow wastewater hygiene personal procedures.
Comply with (water or wastewater) industry regulations and procedures.
Follow alarm intervention procedures. Resolve alarm issues.
Inspect (planned) and check assets (reactive) and identify action.
Follow procedures to remove assets for routine maintenance and recommission.
Carry out validation or instrument checks of online equipment and identify action.
Monitor first line maintenance of process control equipment and instrumentation.
Identify issues. Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques: identify root cause. Resolve faults.
Consider, identify, and promote areas for improvement for example, in relation to quality, cost, time, safety, and impact.
Interrogate and interpret electronic control systems. For example, HMI or SCADA.
Use data monitoring and control systems to monitor and control equipment.
Inspect and check safety equipment: identify and take action.
Identify and instigate incident escalation procedures.
Apply site standards for housekeeping.
Conduct risk assessments: identify and document risks and hazards in the workplace. Apply control measures.
Comply with health and safety regulations and safe working practices and procedures.
Follow site security procedures.
Follow procedures for emergency situations.
Comply with environmental and sustainability regulations and requirements. For example, safe disposal of waste, re-cycling or re-use of materials, and efficient use of resources.
Apply principles of sustainable development. For example, in choice of materials.
Conduct and assess impact of activity for example, environmental, cost, reputation, safety, and health. Apply control measures.
Identify and escalate issues.
Read and interpret written information. For example, work instructions, and service level agreements.
Complete work records.
Use information technology. Follow cyber security procedures. Comply with GDPR.
Plan tasks. Identify and organise resources to complete work tasks.
Communicate verbally and in writing. For example, with colleagues, stakeholders, or others. Use water industry terminology where appropriate.
Liaise with, negotiate with, and handle conflict in individual or group environments.

Your training plan

Your apprenticeship will last 36 months, and successful apprentices will achieve a Water Industry Treatment Process Technician, Level: 3 (wastewater pathway) standard, endorsed by the Institute for Apprenticeships
During your first year, you’ll spend one working week out of every month, learning new theory and skills at our technical training centre in Bolton. If you’re from outside of the area, accommodation will be provided for this period, excluding weekends

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

5 GCSEs incl. Maths, English & Science/Tech (grade grades A-C or grades 9-4)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
Attention to detail
Organisation skills
Problem solving skills
Logical
Team working
Initiative
Patience

Other requirements

Offers subject to pre-employment checks before your appointment can be confirmed. Any offer of employment with United Utilities will be subject to a satisfactory report from the Disclosure Scotland/ the Disclosure and Barring Service. Please only apply for one apprenticeship. Please note that we are unable to offer Visa sponsorship for this role.

About this company

United Utilities is responsible for water and wastewater services in the North West of England. Our purpose is to provide great water and more for the North West. We deliver 1.8 billion litres of water a day to more than 3 million homes and businesses in the North West, as well as treating all the wastewater which disappears around the U-bend. Keeping the region flowing relies on a vast behind the scenes operation, involving hundreds of reservoirs, treatment works and pumping stations; thousands of kilometres of water pipes and sewers and a 5,000 strong workforce.

http://www.unitedutilities.com/corporate/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Our apprentices are well looked after, with a generous salary, 26 days of leave (excluding bank holidays), a £500 contribution towards learning to drive, and many more benefits.

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

Every apprentice is guaranteed a permanent position at the end of their scheme

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

United Utilities

UU Early Careers

UUEarlyCareers@uuplc.co.uk

03301754408

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000297830.

Apply now

Closes in 28 days (Wednesday 19 February)

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After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.

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